A cold heart (AU)
by xnericx
Summary: When people mentioned Eric Beale, they didn't mention 'Kind', 'Friendly', or 'Lovely to talk to' in the same sentence. He was known as the coldhearted nephew of the lovely prince. But what happens when he goes back to the castle he once called his home and falls in love with just an ordinary maid? Will she be able to break the walls he worked so hard on around his heart?


It wasn't something unusual that the older man couldn't handle alone, but he still asked his younger nephew for his help, even though he had sworn to never come back again to that doomed castle that held so much memories. But here Eric Beale was, waiting with a suitcase behind him on the privat airport of his uncle.

"He always took long, didn't he." he mumbled to himself as he took a glance on his watch, it was about an hour now that he had been waiting, and yet something was holding him back from getting into the plane again and flying back to the country he called his home now, America.

"There you are, my lovely nephew, come here!" A gray haired man made his way towards him and hold out his arms as awaiting for a hug, it never came though, Eric wasn't one for physical contact with his family.

"Uncle Ben, it's nice to be here again." his voice sounded cold and harsh, and his uncle slightly winched as if a cold storm overtook his body. He never hoped that the lovely person Eric once was would turn into something so cold that it frightened him on spot. Yet here he was and he wasn't going to be surprised if Eric would say winter was his favorite season next.

"So what happened lately in the nice warm city that we all love?" Ben tried to break the tension that was building up around them, but sadly failed as he got yet another cold response back.

"If you mean LA, I hate it there. It's too hot for me, I prefer the winter." The sound of the wheels of Eric's suitcase that was trailing behind them was about the only thing that broke their silence while they walked.

Unknowingly to Eric, his uncle shot him a worried look, he feared the adorable lovely man that always spoke so highly of the things that he was so passionate about would never come back, and he would take all the blame on himself. Ever since his parents died Eric never was the same, he shielded himself from emotions and people, he broke all of his ties to his family and decided to start his life all over again in a whole different country, hoping he could leave his nightmares and fears behind him in Germany.

"My sincery apologies for waking you up with my call in the middle of the night, but I desperately need your help, I'm not able to convince him so you were my only last hope." Eric made no point of the apology and closed the car door as they drove away towards the big castle that was only a few miles away.

"Why do you need my help?" Eric never had been the kind of person who went straight to the point, but he had learned over the years that it was better than dancing around the subject for centuries, as that always leads to unnecessary trouble and problems.

"You need to convince Benjamin to marry her." The dark blue eyes of his uncle fell on the black leather of the carseat in front of him, the glinstering in them long gone after he had given up on getting Eric's heart back into his overshadowed mind.

"Who's her?" Eric feared the answer as he knew his nephew would only decline if it was someone he hated, and that was a short list of people he could count on only one hand.

"Rosamund."

He got shivers all over his body as he heard her name being spoken out loud. Eric and Benjamin despised her, she was a whore, (pardon me for his language), and she would always be one. She had dated probably everyone in and around the big castle and opened her legs time after time as man kept falling to their knees in front of her. Eric once was almost underneath her spell too, but with the help of some long talks with Benjamin he was able to break it and see what kind of witch hided under her beautiful looks.

"No." He simply answered and his uncle looked back at him confused, he never expected that answer of him.

"No?"

"No. I won't let him marry her, he hates her with his whole heart, and I can say I despise her too. She's a slut and I will never allow it that he marries such a horrible creature."

"Language!, young man." They had reached the castle and Eric quickly got out of the car and made his way to the big brown doors that enlightened the entrance. A maid came around to take his suitcase from the driver. Eric didn't recognize her from the young years he spent here and soon figured she was new around here. He decided he wouldn't make it her all too bad, but would give her some attitude to harden her up a little, she seemed pretty soft now and he could break her heart with a snap of his fingers.

Her auburn hair glanced in the sunlight that manage to shine all the way trough the door into the big almost golden, (the Beale's loved to pronk with the amount of money they have), and gave it a look that almost made it color bronze. The soft features of her face made her look even more perfect than she possibly could have been, and he almost fell in love with her right on spot, but he quickly reminded himself that he had zero emotion, so why show one to someone who's just a simple maid?

"You're new, what's your name?" He didn't give her time to answer his first question, even though it was rather more of a statement, and scanned her with his ice blue eyes as she picked up his luggage.

"Nell Jones, your highness." She bowed a little for him, and he stiffened up by the way she had used his title. He hadn't heard it for years and took some time to get used to it again.

"Bring my suitcase to my room upstairs, first door on the left, _maid_." He made sure to demand her with a stern voice, she needed to know what her place was around here and who she was working for again.

"Of course, your highness, I'll do it right away." She slightly smiled as she picked up his suitcase again and brought it to his old room.

"Quit the talking, your voice is annoying." He saw the way her face drained of all the happiness it had captured before, and the sound of her heart slowly breaking could almost be heard in the whole castle. Instead of apologizing she nodded, not wanting to speak up again without his permission.

"Don't be so rude to her Eric, she just got here!" His uncle Ben turned around to face him again and cut off the conversation he had with the driver, he was always the more friendly one of the family and made sure everybody liked it here.

"Darling, ignore him please and continue what you were doing before." Unlike Eric's voice his voice was something that sounded rather nice and friendly, with a stern edge to it.

There was something that could be described as a faint smile on Eric's face. Teasing her until he was sure she hated him was definitely gonna be fun.


End file.
